Target-trap.



F. H. MERRIGK. TARGET TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7. 190B.

' 920,362, Patented May 4, 1909.

THE upnms PETERS 2a., vusumcrorv, n. c.

UNITED b Tri lrjlhd PA'EYENT fllill lijll.

FREDERlUli H. MERRIOR, OI" I-IUNllNG'lON, WEST VlRGlhlA.

TARGET-TRAP.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Fnnpnnrcn ll. MunnicK, citizen of the United States, residing at Huntington, in the county of Cabell and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in 'larget- Traps, of which the following is a speciiication.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in traps of that character which are employed for throwing disk targets, commonly known as clay pigeons, and the object of the invention is the provision of a trap embodying a novel construction whereby it can be readily set and released from the pullers stand.

The invention further contemplates a trap which will be absolutely uniform in its action and will throw every target the same distance.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a target trap embodying the invention, the throw arm being shown in a set position, Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view through the end of the frame, and Fig. l is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the base which is supported upon the legs 2 and is provided upon its upper surface with an annular race-way 3 receiving the balls 4. Pivotally mounted upon the base 1 is aplate 5 which is provided upon its lower face with a race-way 6 also receiving the balls 4, the said plate resting upon the balls and being designed to rotate freei y thereon. This plate carries the throwing mechanism and is designed to be held in an adjusted position by means of set screws 7 engaging wings 7 upon the base.

Projecting upwardly from the central por tion of the plate 5 is a standard 8 and pivotally mounted upon this standard so as to swing about a horizontal axis is a stock 9. The frame 10 which is disposed at substan- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 7, 1908.

- frame and having the throw arm 12 r Patented May 4-, 1909.

Serial No. 447,465.

tially right angles to the stock is secured at one end to the lower portion of the stock, the opposite end of the frame beii "iturncd upon itself at 10. .ith this construction it will be obvious that by swinging the stool; 9 about its pivotal conncc tion with the standard the frame 10 may be moved e ther into a horizontal position or into a positmn at any desired angle to the horizontal.

Journalod between the frame 10 and the returned end thereof is a shaft 11, one end of the shaft pro ecting upwardh; beyond the y secured thereto at an intermediate poinU in its length. One end of this throw arm is provided with the usual target carrier 13 while the opposite end is cxtcnded upwardly and connected to a main spring i211 which serves to swing the arm to project the target. ln the present instance one end of the main spring is connected to a rod 15 which passes through the upper end of the stock 5) and is capped by a nut 16. dith this construction it will be obvious that by moving the nut in and out upon the rod the main s n'ing' can be tightened or loosened as required.

Loose upon the shaft 1 1 between the frame it) and the returned end thereof is a sprocket wheel 17 which is engaged by a chain 18, the

said chain passing between a pair of guide members 19 upon the lramc, under a guide member 20 upon an. arm 31 projecting from the base, and having the extremity thereof secured to a rod or pipe 22 leading to a lever 25) at the pullers stand. A coil spring 24: which is disposed under the sprocket wheel and has one end thereof secured to the sprocket wheel while the opposite c-nd is secured to the franc tends to return the sprocket wheel to its original position after the latter has been moved by pulling upon the chain or pull member 18. The upper face of the sprocket wheel has a dish formation and receives a dis 25 which is rigid with the shaft 11, the periphery of the dish being formed with a notch as designed to engage a pawl 27 upon the sprocket wheel when the wheel is moved in one direction, the pawl slipping over the notch when the wheel is moved in the opposite direction. A spring 28 bears against the inner end of the pawl and normally holds it yieldingly against the disk 25 while the outer end of the pawl is extended upwardly at 27 and adapted to engage a trip arm 29 which serves to move the pawl into an inoperative position when the sprocket wheel has been turned a sullicient amount to set the throw arm.

3y pulling upon the lever 23 tension is produced in the chain or pull member 18 and the sprocket .wheel 17 vl ch constitutes a resetting member is turned against the ac tion of the coil spring 24. As the wheel is thus turned by the pull member the pawl 27 engages the notch 26 and locks the shaft 11 with the wheel so that the latter is turned and the throw arm moved against the action of the main sprin A. Vvhen the throw arm has been moved to the set position it is engaged 3y a spring catch 30 upon the frame 10 and the upwardly extended end 27 a of the pawl then engages the trip arm 29 to move the pawl into an inoperative position and brealt the interlocking connection between the shaft and the sprocket wheel. ihe catch 30 18 designed to be tripped by a chain or tension member 31 which is returned upon itself about a guide member 2 and has the extremity thereof secured to the pull member 18. The connection between the chain 31 and the pull member 10 is so adjusted that upon a continued moven'ient the pull member after the throw arm has been set and interlocking connection between the wheel 17 and the shaft 1.1 broken, tension will be produced within the chain 31 and the catch 30 moved to release the throw arm. The target will then be projected in the usual manner and when the lever 23 is released. the coil spring will move the sprocket or resetting wheel 17 back to its original position. With this construction it will be obvious that by swinging the lever 25 at the pullers stand the throw arm can be automatically set and then released.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a target trap, the combination of a frame, a shaft journaled upon. the frame, a throw arm rigid with the shaft, a spring for the throw arm, a catch for the throw arm, a resetting wheel loose upon the shaft, means for locking the resetting wheel with the shaft, means for turning the resetting wheel to move the throw arm against the action of the spring until it is engaged by the catch, and means for automatically releasing the reset ting wheel from engagement with the shaft after the throw arm has been en aged by the catch.

2. In a target trap, the combination of a frame, a shaft journaled upon the frame, a throw arm rigid with the shaft, a spring for the throw arm, a catch for the throw arm, a disk *igid with the shaft, 21. resetting wheel loose upon the shaft, a pawl upon the resetting wlieel for engaging the dish when the resetting wheel is turned to move the throw arm against the action of the spring, a trip upon the frame for releasing the pawl from engagement with the dish when the throw arm has been set, a pull member for turning the resettin wheel to the throw arm, and an operative connection between the pull member and the catch.

3. In a target trap, the combination of a frame, a shaft journaled upon the frame, a throw arm rigid with the shaft, a spring for the'throw arm, a catch for the throw arm, a rese .i wheel loose upon the shaft, means for locking the resetting w eel with the shaft, a pull member for turning the resetting wheel to move the t ow arm against the action of the spring ur n it is engaged .Jy the catch, an operative connection betw en the pull member and the catch, means for releasing the resetting wheel from engagement with the shaft when the throw arm has been set, and a spring for turning the resetting wheel to its original position after it has been released.

4. in a target trap, the combination of a frame having one end thereof returned, snaft ournaled upon the "rame and the returned end thereof, a tl'u'ow arm rigid with the shaft, a dish igid with the shaft, a resetting w eel loose upon the shaft, both the resetting wheel and the disk being located between the frame and the returned end thereof, a pawl upon the resetting wheel for onthe disk to lock the two members toher when the resetting wheel is turned in one direction, the said pawl being provided at its 1 ivot end wi h an extension, means for turning the resetting wheel to set the throw arm, and a trip upon tne frame for engaging the citension of the pawl for releasing the pawl from engagement with the disk when the throw arm has been set.

In testimony whereof I my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK 1i. MERMCK. [L 8.] 

